Wrench or clamp adjustment



(No Model.)

W. J. WRIGHT. WRENCH 0R CLAMP ADJUSTMENT.

No. 526,476. Patented Sept. 25, 1894.

used. v y

I have, in the present'case, shown the de-` construction. cal section onthe line y-frjl of Fig. 4. Fig. 4

" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM '.I. wRIeH'noEioAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

WRENCH ORl CLAMP ADJUSTMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Igatent No. 526,476, datedSeptemberA 25, 1894.

Application flied February 9,1894. selaINtAQa. (Nomads.)

T0 all whom it mrtg/concern: p

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. WRIGHT, a citizen of the United States,residingin Oakland, Alameda county, State ofCaliforni'a, have inventedan improvement in Wrench or Clamp Adjustments; and I hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, andexact description of the same.

My invention relates to an adjustment for wrenches and other-.forms ofclamping apparatus. j

It consists in certain details of construction, which will be more fullyexplained by reference to the laccompanying drawings, in whichy Figure lis an exterior view of my device showing its application to a monkeywrench. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal horizontal section on the line m-mofFig. 4, showing the interior Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertiis atransverse section on the line z-e of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a view of thelocking device.

The object of my device is to provide a means for minutely adjusting thejaws of clamps of any description and permanently locking them inposition after adjustment.

It is especially applicable to quickly setting the` jaws of` monkeywrenches, vises and other clamps, and for other purposes where screwadjustments are commonly or frequently vice as applied to the monkeywrench which will well illustrate its application to any form of clamp.

A is the outer and B the inner jaw of the wrench. The outer jawis formedupon a bar C, and the inner jaw has an extension sleeve I) adapted toslide over the shank of the outer jaw so that thetwo jaws may be movedto or from each other at will. The shank C is slotted or channeled at apoint in its length and has tted into the slot thin plates E of steel orothermetal. The channel is a longitudinal one, and may be rectangular incross section, the plates being made of the same shape and litting`.loosely in the channel without v turning, or, if preferred, the platesmaylbe 5o made round, oval, or any other desired shape, or perforatedhaving a hole through the center with a guide rod upon which they aremovlable. At one end, these plates abut against' fthe end ofthe channel.At the other they abut against an elastic cushion or spring F whichkeeps them closely pressed together at vall times, but which will yieldsufficiently to allow them to be separated at any point.

, This portion of the shank C fits within a correspondingly shapedportion of the sleeve or gcasing D, and the edges of the plates at oneside are guided sleeve.

` Transversely across the sleeve D is made ,an opening G within whichslides a bolt H. This bolt has a spring armA Hf extending out from oneside, thence bent at right angles so ythat the plate extends parallelwith the bolt and exterior to the sleeve, Where it moves in `a guidingchannel, so that it may be caused to slide transversely across thesleeve.

' The inner end of the bolt has a wedgeshaped rounded point H2, and thisedge is adapted to pass between any of the plates E E opposite to whichit may stand at the time when the bolt is moved. The edges of the by theinner side of the shaped edge of the bolt, are preferablyl beveled andbrought to a thin edge so as to form an easy entrance for the wedge whenthe bolt` is moved.

The operation willthen be as follows: The bolt being pushed outward sothat the wedge is disengaged from the platesE, the sleeve or casingD ismoved overthe'shank C until the jaws A and B are set to t the objectdesigned. The bolt is then pushed inwardly and the wedge will enterbetween the plates opposite which it then stands, and when so entered,the straight portion which forms the extension of the wedge will liebetween these plates, I

and will thus form a lock to hold the jaws in the position to whichtheyare adjusted. As the rear ends of the plates rest against the solidimlnovable end of the channel in which they are fitted, it will bemanifest that no force or strain applied to the jaws will move them, andas the plates are thin, the adjustment may be made as minutely as may bedesired. It' the device is fitted toaclamp which is afterward to betightened, this may be done by means of a screw passing through the endof the shank and acting against the rear plate, or a follower whichmoves the plates.

IOO i In order to lock the bolt when it is in place, I have shown aprojecting spur or thumb piece H3 at the end of the elasticplate H whichslides transversely upon the outside of the sleeve. This spur is forceddown into a retaining notch, or a shoulder exterior to the sides of thesleeve, when the bolt has been pushed home, and thus prevents the boltfrom being retracted. When it is desired to reciprocate the bolt for thepurpose of releasing the jaws, a pressure upon this spur or thumb piecewill raise it, on accountof the elasticity of the spring, and it is thenpushed across the sleeve, and the bolt pushed out until the lockingWedge is disengaged from the plates, when the sleeve and jaw may bemoved backward or forward as desired. A suitable stop notch is formed inthe channel in which the plate H slides and the spur is stopped by thiswhen the bolt has been retracted as far as necessary; or, if preferred,the ferrule I of the handle J is formed with a projection K againstwhich the back of the spur is arrested when the bolt is pushedoutwardly. A slot L is made in one side of the rear end of the sleeve D,and a pin M passing through this slot is fixed in the end of the shankC, and this limits the sliding movement of the shank and the distance towhich the jaws may be separated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An adjustment for clamping jaws or followers, consisting of a bar orshank sliding in a guide or casing, independent separable plates littedto the shank, a transversely movable locking plate fitted to the casingand adapted to pass between any pair of the plates or be disengagedtherefrom, the said locking plate or bolt being provided with a combinedoperating arm and spring catch adapted to engage a recess or shoulder ofthe guide or casing and lock the locking plate or bolt in engagementwith the said plates.

2. A locking device for clamping jaws or followers consisting of aslotted shank having a channel, independent separable plates Iitted iusaid channel with an elastic abutment at one end whereby they arenormally closed together and held against the opposite end of thechannel, a sleeve or casing within which shaped end adapted to enterbetween any pair,

of the plates opposite which it stands, and a spring plate connectedwith said bolt having a thumb piece the said sleeve being provided witha recess or shoulder in the path of the lower end of the thumb piece,said thumbpiece and recess or shoulder when engaged being adapted tolock the bolt in position, substantially as described. v

3. An adjusting device for clamping jaws and followers, consisting of ashank having a longitudinal channel, independent separable platesfitting withinsaid channel abutting at one end against the' end of thechannel, at the opposite end against an elastic abutment lwhereby theyare normally retained in close contact, said plates having theprojecting edges beveled or chamfered, a sleeve or casing slidable uponthe outside of the shank having an opening made transversely in oneside, a bolt slidable in said opening having a wedge-shaped inner endadapted to enter' between any pair of plates opposite which it standswhereby the casing and shank are locked with relation to each other, anelastic arm formed with or projecting from said bolt, standing parallelwith it and traveling in a transverse guide upon the casing, a thumblpiece formed upon the end of the elastic plate adapted to lock the boltwhen it is pushed in, and a stop against which the thumb piece isarrested when the bolt is pushed back to release the parts and allow thecasing to be moved upon the shank as described.

h In witness whereof I have hereunto set my and.

WILLIAM J. WRIGHT. l

Witnesses:

S. H. NoURsE, H. F. AsoHEoK.

